Good news for WhatsApp lovers, your favorite messaging application has received a heavy security update – now users messages are fully encrypted end-to-end, meaning that from now on even company itself will not be able to monitor user activities.
Encryption will ensure that the integrity and confidentiality of messages is not damaged. This step will significantly hinder interception of private data both by governments, likes of HackingTeam and intelligence agencies. The step comes after FBI requested Apple to unlock its phones for the forensics purposes.
The end-to-end encryption is often actively debated by governments and some politicians even want to ban companies from using such security measures, by stating that encryption is a “pro-terrorism ” measure.
However WhatsApp justified its action and announced that “[the company] has always prioritized making your data and communication as secure as possible”. “From now on when you and your contacts use the latest version of the app, every call you make, and every message, photo, video, file, and voice message you send, is end-to-end encrypted by default, including group chats,” the announcement first appeared on company’s blog.
The idea behind end-to-end encryption is that no one can see inside messages. Not cybercriminals. Not hackers. Not oppressive regimes. Not even companies who implement such security measures.
“End-to-end encryption helps make communication via WhatsApp private – sort of like a face-to-face conversation”
The company did not miss a chance to address current debate about encryption
“Recently there has been a lot of discussion about encrypted services and the work of law enforcement,” it wrote. “While we recognize the important work of law enforcement in keeping people safe, efforts to weaken encryption risk exposing people’s information to abuse from cybercriminals, hackers, and rogue states.”